Disposable absorbent pad for diathermy applicators



July 22, 1941-. c, BIRTQHER I r 2,249,936

DISPOSABLE ABSORBENT PAD FOR DIATHERMY APPLICATORS Filed May 11, 1940'IIII/IIlIII/IIIIIL Cecil J zrtcher INVENTOR.

BY @M/fl T TORNEY.

I is generally expensive.

Patented July 22, 1941 DISPOSABLE ABSORBENT PAD FOR DIATHERMYAPPLICATORS Cecil J. Birtcher, Alhambra, Calif. Application May 11,1940, Serial No. 334,557

1 Claim.

This invention relates to disposable absorbent pads and pertains moreparticularly to a disposable absorbent pad for a diathermy applicator.

In short wave diathermy treatment the short wave treatment field isapplied to the area to be treated by means of applicators which havetreatment faces of insulating material to prevent electrical contactwith the patient. For sanitary reasons it is not desirable to placethese insulating faces in contact with a patients body. Thus it has beenthe practice to cover such applicator with a clean towel or other padeach time it is used so that the patient is in contact with a sanitarysurface.

There is also another reason that a pad of absorbent material such as atowel has been used to cover the treatment face of the applicator. Theshort wave energy usually produces sufiicient heat to induceperspiration on the treated surface, the lack of ventilation at the areaof contact of the applicator accelerating such condition, so that thereis a tendency for droplets of perspiration to form. The local currentsset up in these droplets produce sufficient heat to produce skin burns.Thus the absorbent pad prevents the formation of droplets and burns.

The use of towels or the like for absorbent pads Furthermore, theresultant applicator is bulky and does not appear neat and professional.In some instances, when small applicators are used as in the treatmentof the head portions, it is not practicable to use such bulky pads.

It is, therefore, a particular and important object of the invention toprovide an inexpensive, compact and effective disposable absorbent padwhich is adapted to be removably secured to the treatment face of ashort wave diathermy applicator.

Other objects of the invention will be set forth in the followingdescription of certain preferred embodiments thereof, or will beapparent from such description.

The accompanying drawing illustrates such embodiments, and referringthereto:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a pad according to my invention applied to thetreatment face of a diathermy applicator, the constituent layers of thepad being progressively broken away to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the pad taken along line 22 in Fig. 1, theapplicator being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of a portion of the pad taken along line3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view of the back face of a pad illustrating a modified formof means for securing it to an applicator;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a View of the back face of a pad illustrating a furthermodified form of construction;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail thereof taken along line !1 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail illustrating a form of construction whichis alternative to that illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to Figs. 1-3 of the drawing, the pad structure is shown ascomprising an absorbent layer I of paper for example, having itsrearward face adhesively secured to a supporting layer 2, of relativelystiiT paper for example. The pad is preferably shaped to conform withthe applicator on which it is to be used. The pad is shown as generallyoval shaped to fit an oval applicator 3. The applicator usually consistsof a casing of insulating material containing a conductive electrode andis shown provided with suitable insulated terminal means 4 extendingfrom the rear face thereof for the conduction of short wave energythereto.

The actual shape and construction of the electrode does not form a partof this invention since my pad construction is generally independent ofthe electrode construction. However, by way of example I have shown anelectrode such as used in the caput applicator which forms the subjectmatter of my copending application Serial No. 333,508 filed May 6, 1940.

Attaching means for securing the absorbent layer to the applicator areprovided, such as rubber bands or the like 5 and 6 disposed at therearward face of the supporting layer 2 and held in position withrespect thereto through the agency of an attachment layer 1 which isadhesively secured to the support layer 2. The attachment layer 7 ispreferably recessed in its plane adjacent the edges where the bandsextendfrom the pad as at 8 to minimize the tendency for the attachmentlayer to tear at its edges or pull away from the support layer when therubber bands are stretched about the applicator as shown in Figs. 1 and2.

It is not always necessary or desirable that the attaching means such asthe rubber bands be placed parallel to one another at longitudinallyspaced positions as shown in Fig. 1. The placement of such attachmentmeans depends to conthe loop of each of the bands.

on whichthe pad is to be used. An example of a pad for use with acircular applicator is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

'Referring thereto, the pad is shown as comprising a circular absorbentlayer 10 having a supporting layer H of relatively stiff or rigidmaterial adhesively secured thereto. The attachment means is shown ascomprising rubber bands 12 and I3 which are secured to the supportinglayer by means of an attachment layer l4 which is adhesively attached tothe supporting layer. The rubber bands are arranged transverse to oneanother with the band l2 encircled by the band l3. The layer l4 extendsthrough This layer is preferably recessed as at l5 near the edge of thepad where the bands emerge, as with the form illustrated in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a form of pad construction is illustrated with whichthe attachment layer is omitted. Referring to said figures, the pad isshown as comprising an absorbent layer 20 adhesively secured to asupporting layer 2|. The attachment means, comprising one or more rule--her hands 22, is secured between "the absorbent layer and the supportinglayer and encircles the supporting layer. I In order to keep the frontsurface of the layer 22 smooth and thus minimize the chance of havingperspiration droplets form on the skin of the patient, the supportinglayer is provided with achannel '23 to receive the band 22. This channelmay be formed by pressing a groove in the member 21. The ends-of thechannel are preferably recessed as at 24 to relieve strains incident tostretching the band when the pad is attached to an applicator.

' siderable extent on the shape of the applicator In Fig. 8 analternative form of construction is illustrated. As with the formillustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, a band 22a encircles a supporting layer21a and is secured between an absorbent layer 29a and the supportinglayer 2Ia. In this case, however, the supporting layer is smooth and achannel 23a is formed in the absorbent layer. This may be done since theabsorbent layer is usually sufiiciently soft to have a channel pressedtherein by compression Without destroying the smooth surface contour ofthe front face of the absorbent member. A suitable absorbent layer maycomprise a plurality of connected layers of the soft paper commonly usedto remove makeup from the face.

Alternative forms of pad construction will doubtless appear to thoseskilled in the art, and I do not choose to be limited to the examplesdelineated herein, but rather to the scope of the sub-joined claim.

I claim: 7

A disposable pad adapted to be secured to the face of an electrodemember of a short-wave diathermy applicator consisting of a relativelyrigid flexible insulating supporting layer, an insulating attachmentlayer adhesively secured to one surface of said supporting layer, aplurality of insulating elastic bands, a portion of each band beingsecured between said supporting layer and said attachment layer, and theremainder of each band being adapted to encircle said electrode memberand to hold said attachment layer elastically in contact with the faceof said electrode member, and a pad of insulating absorbent materialsecured to the other surface of said supporting layer.

CECIL J. BIRTCHER.

